Texas Tech University faculty say official directives restricting instruction about race, sex, and gender triggered widespread course changes and increased faculty burnout. A May poll by the Texas Tech faculty senate found nearly half of surveyed faculty altered course content without being asked, while another quarter said they were told to change materials by administrators. Faculty reported hundreds of courses affected and a significant portion—52%—said they are looking for other jobs. The directives are tied to memos from Texas Tech University System leadership, including an early memo requiring course material review to reflect a male-female gender binary. Faculty governance and academic freedom stakes are clear: the poll results suggest compliance mechanisms are reaching into day-to-day teaching decisions, with direct student-facing implications for course content and learning environment. For higher education institutions in similar states, Texas Tech signals the need to assess faculty governance pathways, academic freedom protections, and how system-level compliance directives interact with curriculum authority and accreditation expectations.